Apple Screen Time
Family Sharing plus a child account is the iPhone and iPad backstop: purchases, new apps, web browsing, contacts, and time. Apple's support page published 14 Sep 2026 says iOS 27 added parental controls, and that every family device has to be on iOS 27 or the earlier Screen Time still applies.
Changing right now: Apple's 14 Sep 2026 support page describes new controls in iOS 27. If a family device is on an older system, the earlier Screen Time is what you get.
Set these from your own phone, in the child's Screen Time settings inside Family Sharing.
Find My was not part of this research, so location on an iPhone is not listed.
Turn on Ask to Buy
On your phone · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026
Purchases wait for your approval. Apple says this is on by default under 13, and in some regions it cannot be turned off before 18.
- Settings, Family, your child, Apps & Websites, Restrictions, Ask to Buy, Require Purchase Approval.
- Leave it on if your child asks to disable it. In some regions Apple does not allow that before 18.
Decide which apps can be installed
On your phone · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026
You can block or allow App Store installs. This is the backstop for any app you have not set up, including ones still being checked on this site.
- Settings, Family, your child, Apps & Websites, App Store, Installing Apps, Allowed or Blocked.
- If you are unsure about an app, leave new installs off until you have looked at it together.
Set the web and search filter
On your phone · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026
This is the device-level control for Safari and for supported browsers. Ask to Browse is on by default under 13. Limit Adult Websites is on by default under 18. On iOS 27, Ask to Browse also applies in Safari and in supported browsers.
- On your phone: Settings, Family, the child, Apps & Websites, Restrictions, Filtering.
- Set Web Content to Approved Websites Only. That's what turns on Ask to Browse, so your child can send you a request for any site that isn't on the list.
- For a teen, confirm Limit Adult Websites is still on, or switch to Approved Websites Only.
Set Allowed Contacts
On your phone · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026
On iOS 27 this is Allowed Contacts. On earlier iOS, Apple's guide still describes restrictions on who your child can communicate with. A message from someone new stays hidden until you approve the contact.
- On iOS 27: Settings, Family, the child, Allowed Contacts, During Screen Time.
- Choose Contacts Only, Contacts and Groups with at least one contact, or Everyone.
- Use Manage Contacts to approve people. Leave Allow Contact Editing off so a new contact has to be requested.
- On earlier iOS, use the communication limits in Screen Time. The iOS 27 names above will not be on that screen.
Set age ratings for apps, music, and movies
On your phone · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026
Content & Privacy Restrictions can limit apps, music, movies, and similar media by age rating. The same area can limit Siri features, including image creation, and other privacy switches.
- Set the ratings to match your child's age.
- Review the Siri and privacy restriction switches on the same screen.
Leave Communication Safety on
On your phone · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026
It blurs and warns about nudity, gore, and violence in Messages, AirDrop, contact posters, FaceTime video messages, shared albums, and some other apps. It is on by default under 18. Communication Safety also works on live FaceTime calls. Under 13, opening the blurred content needs your Screen Time passcode.
- Settings, Family, the child, Communication Safety. Leave it on.
- On iOS 27, when you enter your Screen Time passcode to review a blurred item, a slider lets you reveal it gradually before you decide. Nudity detection also covers live FaceTime video calls.
- Tell them a blurred image is a reason to come to you, not something they have to open.
Set Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances
On your phone · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026
On iOS 27, set Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances. Schedules can use windows such as Before School, School, and After School. Time Allowances is a daily budget by category. The child can ask for more time. These controls need every family device on iOS 27. On earlier iOS, the guide still says Downtime and limits for specific apps. Use the names on the screen you have.
- On iOS 27: Settings, Family, the child, Screen Time Schedule. Turn on Schedule, then Add Schedule, and pick the days.
- Set Time Allowances for the categories you care about, such as Entertainment, Games, or Social Media.
- On earlier iOS, set Downtime and the limits for specific apps. Those older names are what that system still shows.
Limit Game Center friends and private messages
On your phone · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026
You can block Connect with Friends and Private Messaging in Game Center.
- Turn off Connect with Friends if you do not want new game friends.
- Turn off Private Messaging.
Set a Screen Time passcode on your phone
On your phone · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026
With Family Sharing, set the Screen Time passcode from your own device. Apple says a parent managing a child through Family Sharing must set it on their own device, not the child's. Choose one your child can't guess.
- On your phone: Settings, Family, the child, Manage Screen Time, Lock Screen Time Settings.
- Choose a four-digit passcode, then set up passcode recovery with your Apple Account.
Know that a teen cannot leave Family Sharing alone
On your phone · ages 13–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026
If Screen Time is on, a 13- to 17-year-old needs the family organizer's permission to leave the group. Apple says they might not be able to leave until 18.
- If a teen asks to leave the family group, that request comes to the organizer. It is not a switch on their phone.
How we check lists what was left off Apple Screen Time.
Build a plan that includes Apple Screen Time